is a Japanese singer-songwriter.
Early life and family
Ozaki was born on 24 July 1989 in Tokyo, Japan, to Japanese singer songwriter
Yutaka Ozaki
was a popular Japanese musician. He is ranked at No. 23 in a list of Japan's top 100 musicians by HMV.
Biography
He was born in Tokyo Setagaya Ward SDF Central Hospital to Kinue and Kenichi Ozaki. He has one older brother, Yasushi. Early in li ...
and Shigemi Ozaki. After his father, who was known as a legendary rock musician, died of
pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema, also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive edema, liquid accumulation in the parenchyma, tissue and pulmonary alveolus, air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause hypoxemia an ...
at the age of 26, Ozaki and his mother moved to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, United States.
Career
2004–2015: Pre-debut period
In March 2004, Ozaki covered his father's song as a duo named Crouching Boys, with Tomi Yo. The song was included on a
tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
to Yutaka Ozaki, ''"Blue" A Tribute to Yutaka Ozaki'', which reached number one in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Ozaki graduated from
American School in Japan
The American School in Japan (ASIJ; ja, アメリカンスクール・イン・ジャパン) is an international private day school located in the city of Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The school consists of an elementary school, a middle school, and a ...
in June 2008 and attended
Keio University
, mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword
, type = Private research coeducational higher education institution
, established = 1858
, founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa
, endowmen ...
Faculty of Environment and Information Studies in 2008. He worked as a radio DJ on
InterFM
InterFM (JODW-FM 89.7 MHz Tokyo, 76.5 MHz Yokohama) is a Japanese commercial radio station on the FM band, transmitting in the Greater Tokyo area (including Narita International Airport), and owned and operated by . Since September 2020, ...
, hosting the show ''Concerned Generation''. In July 2012, Ozaki first played in public at
Fuji Rock Festival
is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan. ...
2012. His second show on InterFM, titled ''Between The Lines'' started in April 2013.
2016–present: ''Let Freedom Ring'' and ''Seize the Day''
After the graduation from graduate school, Ozaki launched his music career. In July 2016, he appeared on the television music show ''Ongaku no Hi'', and played his father's song "I Love You" and his first original song, "Hajimari no Machi". In September 2016, Ozaki embarked his first live concert as a solo singer, entitled ''Billboard Classics Hiroya Ozaki Premium Concert: Hajimari no Machi'', at Yomiuri Otemachi Hall.
Ozaki's debut single "Hajimari no Machi" was released in September 2016, through
Toy's Factory
is a Japanese record label founded in the late 1980s as a subsidiary of the entertainment company VAP, based in Japan. On May 30, 1990, it was established as an independent company.
Toy's Factory, as of the first half of 2012, is the four ...
. The song peaked at number fifty on the
Billboard Japan Hot 100
The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
chart. His first
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. ''
Let Freedom Ring
''Let Freedom Ring'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean, recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label. '' was released in March 2017 to a commercial success, reaching number twenty-one in Japan. Ozaki embarked on the tour entitled ''Let Freedom Ring Tour 2017'' in support of the extended play.
In September 2017, "Glory Days" was released as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from Ozaki's second extended play. The song served as the theme song to the Japanese animated movie ''
Psalm of Planets Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution''. The song successfully reached number thirty-eight on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart and topped on the
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
Japan. His second extended play ''Seize the Day'' was released in October 2017 and peaked number thirteen in Japan. To promote the extended play, Ozaki embarked his second tour, ''Seize the Day Tour 2017'' from October 2017, at
NHK Osaka Hall
NHK Hall is a part of the NHK Osaka, located in Otemae, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. Its address is 4-1-20, Chūō-ku, Osaka, 540-8501. This facility has a 1,417-seat capacity.
See also
*NHK Hall
The NHK Hall is a concert hall located at the NHK ...
. His first
unplugged
Unplugged may refer to:
*Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means
*Unplugged (B.A.P song), "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014
*Unplugged (Modern Family), "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family''
Albums a ...
concert tour, ''One Man Stand 2017'' started in December 2017.
Ozaki released a single, "Hurry Up!", with
Sky-Hi
is a Japanese rapper, singer, actor, dancer, and a member of the J-pop group AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* ...
and Kerenmi, in April 2018. He embarked his fourth concert tour entitled ''Beyond All Borders 2018'' in May 2018. In September 2018, Ozaki announced that he would release a new single, . The song serves as the theme song to the Japanese television
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series ''
Sōten no Ken: Re:Genesis''.
Discography
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artist
Promotional singles
As a featured artist
Notes
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozaki, Hiroya
1989 births
Japanese male pop singers
Japanese male singer-songwriters
Japanese singer-songwriters
Living people
Toy's Factory artists
Singers from Tokyo
21st-century Japanese singers
21st-century Japanese male singers